neilho27@sky.com - The Ginger Quiff

The Gracious Losers – Six Road Ends – album review

April 3, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

Continuing in their quest to cause me marital grief due to the ever increasing number of vinyl arrivals, Last Night From Glasgow released the latest album from The Gracious Losers last week.

This supremely talented collective have come together once again to create a sublime soundtrack to my various trips around Scotland for work this week.

Last Night From Glasgow Patreon

Taking these soul soothing tunes with me reminds me to mention that, if vinyl isn’t your thing, and I’m not judging, you can join in the party with a monthly subscription that allows you to access all the labels releases in digital format.… Read the rest

paul RESEARCH – skate THE ROYAL MILE

March 24, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

Scars legendary guitarist returns following his adventures with Voicex for this arresting and eclectic collection of songs, collaborating across the miles (from Edinburgh to Barcelona, New York City to Rome and closer to home in England) none of the albums contributors met during the recording of the album during 2020 and ’21.

The songs and music are all written and played by the maestro himself while the vocals are shared between Leanne (LeeLoo) Greenman featuring on five of the nine songs, singing duties split equally on the remaining songs between Carrie Furniss and the enigmatically named James.

This album is clearly a labour of love from Paul.… Read the rest

Jason How – Plastic Dreams and Lovers

March 23, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

Guitar string empresario by day and psyche pop guitarist and lyricist extraordinaire by night. Rotosound’s Jason How excels himself once again with, unbelievably, an album which is apparently made up of songs which didn’t make the cut for previous albums. The outcome is a remarkable collection of songs that feel like they were made to be together, and any right minded band would be proud of.

The majority of the songs on the album are exactly what you would expect, and want, from a Jason How record. Powerfully perfect psyche pop melodies coupled with his usual selection of razor sharp observations and biting criticism, sitting perfectly alongside his emotive human interest tales.… Read the rest

Minerva Wakes – Mirrored Moon review

March 19, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

Minerva/mɪˈnɜːrvə/ (Latin: [mɪˈnɛrwa]; Etruscan: Menrva) is the Roman Goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. Minerva is not a patron of violence such as Mars, but of defensive war only.

Utterly Hypnotic

The Twistettes take a break away from their grungy alt punk existence to appear on an altogether “D’arc”er plain with their enigmatic side project, the utterly hypnotic and engrossing trip hop of Minerva Wakes.

The album lands at an apposite time and space given events of recent months. Perhaps more pertinently, recent weeks. Minerva is waking to justified calls for justice in the shape of Black Lives Matter and even more befitting in recent weeks, in the wake of the righteous anger at the death of Sarah Everard and the wave of accounts of women who feel unsafe walking on their own in the streets of the UK.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up – Jan to March 2021

March 14, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

Despite my realisation that I had been slowly disappearing down a black hole, and taking the prompt from Action for Happiness to have a more Mindful March, it has been difficult to get out of the rut, still finding myself lost in “busyness” much of the time and not living life in the moment.

I have managed to take several “moments” out though to listen to the plethora of quality new singles, songs or demos that have come my way by way of e-mail, social media or by pure chance. Many of these songs are due to be followed up later in the year with an album, so the future of 2021, music wise at least, is looking rosy.… Read the rest

Mogwai – As the Love Continues/Arab Strap – As Days Get Dark – reviews

March 5, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

Scottish Indies

What a week for Scottish independent music. Last week saw the latest magnum opus from Mogwai claim the number one album in the UK, with the magnificence of As the Love Continues This week sees the welcome return of Aidan and Malcolm. Their new masterwork, As Days Get Dark, of course, released as days start to get lighter and we crawl out of the depths and darkness of winter.

Both albums are a joy to behold, music is my solace, no more so than in the last couple of months, and these two albums will be a refuge to raise the spirits in any moments of darkness in coming months.… Read the rest

Mindful March

March 4, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

Let’s not sugar coat it. January was shite. If anything, February was worse…

I’m willing to bet I’m not the only person that in any “normal” year hates the early months of a new year. The promise of a buoyant New Year seen through the haze of a Hogmanay dram, usually fades to a miserable grey thought as the realisation hits. It’s January.

I mean, January and February are normally a barren wasteland of dark mornings and dark evenings. Days and nights of nothing much happening after the hustle and bustle of December. 2021 has added a whole new dimension of shite to the mix.… Read the rest

Cup & Nuzzle Productions

January 31, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

I feel it is very remiss of me not to have featured this podcast production company before now, but as the saying goes, better late than never.

Ok, so there is an element of nepotism here. Cup & Nuzzle is a production company co-founded by BBC6 Music presenter, and drummer from Menswe@r, one of my favourite bands to rise out of the awfully named Britpop “scene”, Matt Everitt and of course, and perhaps more importantly, my talented cousin, Graham Hodge.

I know of several people who have spent a large proportion of the last 12 months furloughed due to the worldwide pandemic.… Read the rest

Run Into The Night – band interview

January 31, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

Last year, Run Into the Night announced a change to their line-up with Ellie moving on to pastures new and her seat at the drum kit being taken by the sartorially elegant Androo. I had the opportunity to catch up with Christina and Androo at the turn of the year to talk about the future for Run Into the Night

Line Up Changes

The Ginger Quiff: Before I ask about the new line up and plans for the future, I’d like to look back. Christina, tell us about some of your highlights so far with Run Into the Night and Ellie on drums?… Read the rest

New York Junk – Live from The Bowery Electric

January 27, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

It is almost a year since I last attended a real, live gig. Let me tell you, I have missed live music terribly, and things don’t look rosy for a return to sweaty club gigs, or any other kind of gig any time soon. After we entered the first lockdown in those dim and distant days of early 2020 little would we know we would be in the same, or maybe worse situation a year down the line with no end in sight.

Online Fatigue

Over spring and summer last year I enjoyed watching a variety of online gigs, from acoustic guitars in front rooms, to full blown electric sets from bands playing to camera’s in empty clubs.… Read the rest